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Is it possible to write a script that will restart Windows in Safe Mode?

Ichinisan

Ichinisan

Lifer
Many of us have experienced this problem:
It is too easy to mess up when trying to enter Safe Mode. Many installations of Windows XP have a much smaller window of opportunity to press the F8 key. Many keyboard controllers disable the keyboard if you press a key before it is initialized. Sometimes the display will not fade in until it is too late.

With my new job as a cable modem installation tech, I have to restart computers in Safe Mode all the time to bypass spyware and diagnose problems. I can usually get to Safe Mode without wasting too much time, but I'm trying to write a spyware/adware awareness document for our customers (the spyware/adware problem is *seriously* out-of-hand). I need to explain a fool-proof way to get users into Safe Mode.


If possible, I need to write some kind of script or batch file that will cause Windows to enter Safe Mode without having the user manually modify BOOT.INI

Is this possible? I know that the last part of the script should include "shutdown -r -f -t 0"

Is it possible to restart to Safe Mode using an applet like MSCONFIG? I think that MSCONFIG would be inadequate. If selective startup is used to disable all optional items, it simply moves them to another backup key so that they will not be executed on the next startup. However, when the system shuts downit will tell all background processes to close; Spyware processes could simply re-add the missing registry keys when Windows is shutting down.
 
While this doesn't answer your question fully, from MSCONFIG select the BOOT.INI tab. Check off the /SAFEBOOT option. Click Close, then Restatrt. Fairly straightforward. the only caveat is that it must then be manually reversed while inside Safe Mode.

A script would be nice, though.


 
Originally posted by: TechnoPro
While this doesn't answer your question fully, from MSCONFIG select the BOOT.INI tab. Check off the /SAFEBOOT option. Click Close, then Restatrt. Fairly straightforward. the only caveat is that it must then be manually reversed while inside Safe Mode.

A script would be nice, though.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I already figured that much. Thanks anyway. Perhaps you can tell me if this feature of MSCONFIG works identically for all 32-bit Windows versions? (NT4,95,98,98SE,ME,2K,XP,etc)
 
Originally posted by: Ichinisan
Originally posted by: TechnoPro
While this doesn't answer your question fully, from MSCONFIG select the BOOT.INI tab. Check off the /SAFEBOOT option. Click Close, then Restatrt. Fairly straightforward. the only caveat is that it must then be manually reversed while inside Safe Mode.

A script would be nice, though.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I already figured that much. Thanks anyway. Perhaps you can tell me if this feature of MSCONFIG works identically for all 32-bit Windows versions? (NT4,95,98,98SE,ME,2K,XP,etc)
Click to expand...

Short answer is no.
 
Well, you could always copy their bootloaded files onto a floppy, and modify the optional parameter string to include the "/SAFEBOOT" bit. That would leave their on-disk (HD) copies alone, but still allow booting, but in Safe Mode.
 
Originally posted by: Ichinisan
Originally posted by: TechnoPro
While this doesn't answer your question fully, from MSCONFIG select the BOOT.INI tab. Check off the /SAFEBOOT option. Click Close, then Restatrt. Fairly straightforward. the only caveat is that it must then be manually reversed while inside Safe Mode.

A script would be nice, though.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I already figured that much. Thanks anyway. Perhaps you can tell me if this feature of MSCONFIG works identically for all 32-bit Windows versions? (NT4,95,98,98SE,ME,2K,XP,etc)
Click to expand...

*sigh

Why hasn't Microsoft added "restart in Safe Mode" to the shut-down menu? They should also add -h (hibernate) and -safe (restart in Safe Mode) to the command-line "shutdown" command.
 
Why hasn't Microsoft added "restart in Safe Mode" to the shut-down menu?
Click to expand...

Because it would require some sort of persistance to make happen, no way to carry the safe mode request thru a shutdown.
Bill
 
Not true. You can do it with MSCONFIG.

Also, it could simply set a flag in the registry and check it each time Windows boots.

It wasn't such a huge problem for Microsoft to have a "restart in MS-DOS mode" option in Win9x...
 
As you have probably figured out already, one can add a "safe boot" option to the startup menu in Windows XP. However, this technique requires modifying boot.ini.

1) edit boot.ini

2) Under [Operating Systems], select the entire line that contains the settings for your default operating system choice and copy it to the bottom of the list.

3) Append the following set of switches to the end of the newly copied line:
/safeboot:minimal /sos /bootlog

(Replace "minimal" with "network" if you want the shortcut to start in Windows in Safe Mode with networking.)

4) Change the description in quotation marks to something meaningful, such as "Windows XP Safe Mode" and save the file.


(From Windows XP Inside Out Deluxe Edition. Bott, Siechert, Stinson. Microsoft Press. 2003.)
 
Originally posted by: nineball9
As you have probably figured out already, one can add a "safe boot" option to the startup menu in Windows XP. However, this technique requires modifying boot.ini.

1) edit boot.ini

2) Under [Operating Systems], select the entire line that contains the settings for your default operating system choice and copy it to the bottom of the list.

3) Append the following set of switches to the end of the newly copied line:
/safeboot:minimal /sos /bootlog

(Replace "minimal" with "network" if you want the shortcut to start in Windows in Safe Mode with networking.)

4) Change the description in quotation marks to something meaningful, such as "Windows XP Safe Mode" and save the file.


(From Windows XP Inside Out Deluxe Edition. Bott, Siechert, Stinson. Microsoft Press. 2003.)
Click to expand...

Us technical people can handle these instructions without incident. The OP wanted to have end-users perform this in an idiot-proof fashion, minimizing, if not eliminating, the possibility of user error.
 
I can certainly create such utilities, though it would be troublesome to make sure that it applies to other versions of Windows (I don't think that Win9x supports Safe Mode with Networking).

I will create supporting utilities, but I also want the document to contain stand-alone information for those without access to them.

Also, there will also be a Spanish version of the guide.
 
well you could use an batch file to run an inf file to edit the boot.ini

that coming from an old school spaghetti programer

I'm sure there is another way but that's the way I know I could handle it

 
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